Due to an influx of students, the Playas de Orihuela School has had to give up nearly all its common areas to make room for more classrooms.
José David Gras, head of the Territorial Service of Educational Infrastructures of Alicante, informed Unidos por la Costa association president Tomás Moreno that these classrooms will meet the rising demand in the area. Gras also mentioned plans for a third school on the Orihuela coast, with the City Council responsible for providing a plot for the construction of this new school, currently subject to a technical study and approval.
The municipal government has proposed a plot in the La Cuerda development for the new brick school, but the timeline for its construction remains unclear.
The current school year started with protests from teachers and families over overcrowding in classrooms. The Playas educational community even protested the loss of their library to make room for another classroom. The addition of new barracks at Playas de Orihuela was anticipated due to the increasing number of students, many of whom have special needs and language barriers.
As a contingency measure, some enrolment applications were transferred to Pilar de la Horadada, which agreed to accommodate about 50 children at CEIP María Moliner until the new Infant and junior school is completed in Los Dolses.
Unidos por la Costa also raised concerns about the only health centre in Orihuela Costa, criticising the Town Hall for not providing the land needed for its extension. The Council confirmed that only the extension planned by the previous administration will proceed.
The association also highlighted the lack of social services investment on the coast, pointing out that Orihuela Costa lacks day centres, residences, and other essential services.
For the moment, the Playas de Orihuela School is set to receive four new prefabricated classrooms to address overcrowding, while the local community continues to call for better infrastructure and services in Orihuela Costa.
